Big 12 Power Rankings – Page 2

Big 12 Power Rankings for Week 5

Kansas is high up the power rankings after defeating the BYU Cougars.

The Big 12 picture is about like we saw it at the top last week. Albeit, one team proved worthy of upward movement this week.

The Kansas Jayhawks are now 4-0 after defeating the BYU Cougars 38-27 in Week 4. In doing so, the Jayhawks did what the Arkansas Razorbacks could not do a week prior.

BYU defeated Arkansas in Fayetteville just a week ago. And while transitive property wins aren’t legitimate, it gives a ballpark idea of where the Jayhawks and Cougars stand among the Big 12’s top teams.

Oklahoma and Texas impressed in different ways over the weekend, but both teams still look like the ones who will face off in Arlington at the end of the year.

Let’s power rank and determine the best teams in the Big 12.

Big 12 Power Rankings: Kansas gets big win, Baylor falls flat

The Kansas Jayhawks earned a big win over BYU and saw a bump in this week’s Big 12 Power Rankings.

In week four, six of the eight games featuring Big 12 teams were conference matchups. The weekend that was provided a fuller picture of the Big 12 landscape as 2023 progresses.

Several teams provided significant answers to their first conference test of the season, while others walked away with more questions.

It’s becoming clear that teams like Baylor, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech won’t factor into the Big 12 title race. There are too many issues for those teams to overcome, in particular at quarterback.

But over the next few weeks, we’ll get a clearer idea of who the contenders in the Big 12 are.

Take a look at this week’s Big 12 Power Rankings.

Big 12 football power rankings for Week 4

BYU surges up our Big 12 power rankings ahead of Texas-Baylor week.

We are three games into the season for most college football teams. There is only so much we have learned, but we do know what teams are impressing and what teams are disappointing.

The BYU Cougars are not one of those disappointing teams. After an unremarkable first two games, quarterback Kedon Slovis and company took over Fayetteville, Arkansas in a win over the Arkansas Razorbacks.

BYU is one of the few Big 12 teams that have lived up to expectations. Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor, Cincinnati, Kansas State and Iowa State have all suffered significant upset losses. That’s half of the teams in the Big 12.

Let’s rank the top teams in the conference heading into Week 4 of the 2023 season.

Is Texas back after rolling the Tide? Big 12 power rankings after Week 2

Texas Longhorns beat Alabama Crimson Tide and Big 12 goes 1-2 vs. Pac-12. Who’s on the move in this week’s Big 12 Power Rankings?

Week 2 had several fantastic matchups. Three Big 12 teams played Pac-12 opponents. The Texas Longhorns provided an SEC preview in its win over Alabama.

Big 12 teams matched up with the Pac-12, Big Ten, ACC and SEC on Saturday, providing an intriguing group of games for fans to dive into. The conference went 10-4.

Here are this week’s Big 12 power rankings after Week 2.

Oklahoma No. 2 in Athlon Sports preseason Big 12 power rankings

There’s a lot of optimism surrounding the Oklahoma Sooners for 2023 and Athlon Sports has them No. 2 in their Big 12 preseason power rankings.

The 2023 college football season is still three months away. However, with what Brent Venables and this coaching staff have done in the transfer portal, there’s optimism surrounding the Sooners’ prospects this fall.

Count Athlon Sports’ Steve Lassan as a believer in a Sooners rebound. The college football writer put the Sooners in his preseason top 25 and has Oklahoma ranked No. 2 in his Big 12 power rankings for 2023.

[autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ debut didn’t go according to plan with Oklahoma posting its first losing season since 1998. However, with a little better luck (0-5 in one-score games last season), and some improvement on a defense that struggled to stop the run and allowed 6.04 yards per snap in conference play, the Sooners should rebound back into the top 25. Venables hit the portal hard for help on defense and the second year under this staff should help this group show some improvement. Replacing a couple of starters up front and finding new playmakers at receiver with [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] departing tops the list of offseason priorities for play-caller [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag]. However, the foundation is strong here with quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] and running backs [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] leading the offense. – Lassan, Athlon Sports

In their power rankings over at Athlon Sports, Texas was No. 1 and Oklahoma was followed by Kansas State at No. 3 and TCU at No. 4.

So much of what Oklahoma will be about in 2023 is going to come down to how much improvement they can make on the defensive side of the ball. In four of the five one-score losses for the Sooners in 2022, the defense allowed 30 points or more. In the one loss where the defense held their opponents under 30 points, the Sooners didn’t have an answer for West Virginia’s ground game spearheaded by Garrett Greene.

The offense has areas to improve, particularly in the red zone and on third down. However, if the defense doesn’t make a significant jump, this team will still be trying to outscore teams to win. And that wasn’t a recipe for a lot of success in 2022.

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Jalil Farooq is part of what makes Oklahoma’s offense one of the best in the Big 12 for 2023

The Oklahoma Sooners will have one of the best offenses in the Big 12 in 2023 and one of the big reasons why is wide receiver Jalil Farooq.

The Oklahoma Sooners are looking to replace a large amount of production that departed for the NFL in the 2023 draft. Gone are [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag], [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag] and [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], and [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag] is off to Missouri in the transfer portal.

With players departing comes opportunities for guys to step into bigger roles. One player that showed he is capable of stepping into a bigger role in 2023 was [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], who had significant playing time for the first time in his collegiate career. He turned in 37 receptions for 466 yards and five touchdowns. He also carried the ball 15 times for 140 yards.

Farooq may not be a household name across the country yet, but in 2022, he displayed a playmaking ability that was enough for our friends at Longhorns Wire to take notice. In their rankings of every Big 12 offense, the Sooners came in at No. 3 and Farooq is one of the reasons.

The more film I watch on Oklahoma receiver Jalil Farooq, the more he reminds me of great Sooners receivers of the Bob Stoops era. Dillon Gabriel is perhaps the most proven quarterback in the league and his offense should score plenty in 2023. — Hickey, Longhorns Wire

Farooq proved a valuable asset in Oklahoma’s multi-dimensional offense, which asks its wide receivers to run reverses and jet sweeps, catch screen passes and run a traditional route tree. Farooq’s size and ability to run with the ball in his hands gives offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby a wide receiver that fits exactly what he’s looking for in a wideout.

With the departure of Marvin Mims and Brayden Willis, the Sooners need Farooq to take the step many are expecting. He has the skills to see 100 targets in Oklahoma’s offense and that should turn into a big-time season for the former four-star wide receiver.

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How does the Big 12 stack up in ESPN’s post-spring SP+ rankings?

A look at where the Big 12 stacks up in ESPN’s post-spring SP+ rankings.

The spring season can change perceptions or reinforce what many feel about a football team as they break before summer workouts.

The Oklahoma Sooners look like a team that should contend for the Big 12 title in 2023 but will have to prove that defensive improvement is on the way. They brought back a lot of talent from the 2022 season and infused a group of impactful transfers that should help a defense that allowed 30 points per game last year.

Given that they’re bringing back their quarterback, there are high hopes for the Sooners this season.

ESPN’s SP+ rating also feels pretty good about the Oklahoma Sooners ahead of the 2023 season. Based on their analytics, which takes into account returning production, recent recruiting, and recent history, the Sooners will be one of the teams to watch in the Big 12 title race.

Let’s take a look at where the Sooners and the rest of the Big 12 ranks in ESPN’s SP+ after spring ball.

Oklahoma No. 4 in On3’s post-spring Big 12 power rankings

On3 has Oklahoma ranked fourth in their post-spring rankings. The Sooners have a lot of potential, but have a lot to prove in 2023.

The Oklahoma Sooners have worked to improve the roster after their 6-7 season. What Brent Venables and his staff have done to add talent on both sides of the ball has created a sense of optimism despite the results in 2022.

In On3’s post-spring rankings. Texas, Kansas State, and TCU are ahead of Oklahoma, who comes in at No. 4.

Jesse Simonton has the Sooners at No. 4 because of the question marks Oklahoma is dealing with heading into the summer.

Unlike the Longhorns though, Brent Venables’ team has a few more question marks entering the fall. They do bring back QB Dillon Gabriel, and have a great insurance option in 5-star freshman Jackson Arnold. But are a young group of receivers ready to step up?

Has Venables & Co., fixed a defense that was a sieve in 2022 is the biggest uncertainty. The Sooners did sign a Top 5 recruiting class, with several freshmen pieces like 5-star safety Peyton Bowen expected to contribute early. They also added multiple likely starters via the portal, headlined by Indiana Freshman All-American Dasan McCullough — a Swiss Army hybrid linebacker/safety. – Simonton, On3 Sports

Simonton isn’t as confident in what the Sooners can do to answer some of the questions they have coming into the season. Still, the talent that Oklahoma has brought in is intriguing.

Dillon Gabriel should be one of the best quarterbacks in the country next season, but there are some questions at wide receiver in addition to the offensive line, where health was a major issue this spring. A lot of the intrigue comes from what the Sooners can do on defense now, with more time for Brent Venables to get things right talent-wise and returning players becoming more acclimated in the system.

TCU coming in ahead of the Sooners makes sense from a certain point of view. After that miracle run last year, the team is undergoing a massive makeover with eight players headed to the NFL, including Max Duggan, Quentin Johnston, and Kendre Miller. Still, Sonny Dykes brings back a good amount from last year and brought in a big transfer portal class.

Kansas State ranked ahead of Oklahoma is a bit of a head-scratcher. They’re also a team with a few question marks. They had a strong transfer portal haul, especially on defense, and will have some good quarterback stability with Will Howard. But the losses of Deuce Vaughn and Felix Anudike-Uzomah will be felt in Manhattan.

Many are projecting Texas to take a giant leap forward this year. They’re loaded on the offensive line, at tight end, and at receiver and will get a healthy Quinn Ewers back at quarterback. The defense also brings back six starters and should be improved.

It will be interesting to see how these rankings shape out once the season starts because the top four teams should be set. A program like Texas Tech will have something to say along the way as one of the dark horses in the Big 12.

For Oklahoma, they need the defense to be significantly better than it was in 2022 in order to contend for the Big 12 in their final season. The Sooners have dominated the conference but haven’t won the Big 12 title since 2020. With everything that’s gone on since the Sooners beat Iowa State in the Big 12 title game and Florida in the Cotton Bowl, 2020 feels like forever ago.

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Where Texas lands in On3’s post-spring Big 12 football power rankings

Texas is the popular favorite to win the Big 12 this year.

Texas is the popular favorite to win the Big 12 title this season among national media networks. Continue reading “Where Texas lands in On3’s post-spring Big 12 football power rankings”

Big 12 Basketball: Power rankings following a wild week of play

Big 12 basketball chaos continues.

We were treated to another chaotic week of basketball in the Big 12 Conference as the race for the top spot continues to be up for grabs.

Kansas State jumped up out in front following a 2-0 week. The Wildcats took down Kansas in an overtime thriller and beat Texas Tech by double digits.

The other school in the Sunflower state did not see the same success. Kansas went 0-2 on the week with an ugly 23-point home loss to TCU. The Jayhawks’ five-game Big 12 winning streak came to a close.

Baylor is starting to hit their stride after the slow start to the season. The Bears won two close road games to move back inside the rankings.

The parody in the Big 12 is at a high level, with Texas, TCU, Iowa State, West Virginia and Oklahoma State all going 1-1.

Here is a look at our updated Big 12 basketball power rankings following a wild week on the court.